What would you do if you couldn’t put enough food on the table, take your sick child to the doctor or afford a safe place for your family to live?

To get an idea of what that’s like and to learn how Chatham County can help low-income people get ahead, plan to attend Poverty Awareness Day on Thursday, October 24. The program, sponsored by Circles® Chatham, will be at First United Methodist Church, 1101 W. Raleigh St., in Siler City.

Poverty is the reality for one of every nine residents and for one of every six children living in Chatham County. In the Pittsboro and Siler City areas, one in five residents and one in three children live below the poverty level, according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics.

Poverty Awareness Day includes two workshops. The morning Bridges Out of Poverty session will provide an overview of poverty and highlight ways social service agencies, non-profits, employers and individuals can work together to help families acquire the skills they need to transition out of poverty.

The afternoon COPE (Cost of Poverty Experience) simulation will offer a glimpse of how difficult it is for people living on the margins to survive day to day. You’ll assume the role of someone in crisis who is seeking food, shelter and other basic necessities. As you interact with social service agencies, utilities, police, schools and other resource providers, you’ll deal with the benefits and challenges those encounters produce.

The workshops will offer a fuller understanding of poverty if taken together, but you may choose to attend just one session.

The Bridges Out of Poverty workshop will be from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., led by nationally certified trainer Annette Snider. The registration fee is $25 per individual or organization and includes one copy of the “Bridges Out of Poverty” book.

The COPE poverty simulation will be from 2 to 4:30 p.m., and is offered at no cost. A minimum of 40 participants is required for the simulation.

The registration deadline is Oct. 14. To register or to get more information, visit www.circleschatham.org. Complete the registration form and mail your check (if applicable) to Evergreen United Methodist Church, 11098 U.S. 15-501 Highway N., Chapel Hill, NC 27517. Checks should be payable to Evergreen UMC, with "Bridges" in the memo line. If you do not have online access and want to register, please call 919.933.9440.

If you have participated in a poverty simulation before and would like to be a volunteer at the afternoon session, please send an email to info@circleschatham.org or call 919.533.9440.

Circles® Chatham is part of the Circles® National Campaign, which is active in more than 70 communities nationwide and growing. The non-profit’s goal is to equip people who are struggling financially with access to the long-term relationships, resources, education and opportunities they need to achieve self-sufficiency.

An Art Lover’s Tradition – Art in the Village Autumn 2013

Artists Studio at Fearrington Village is proud to present Art in the Village Autumn 2013. Come to Fearrington Village Center on Sunday October 13, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., to enjoy a day of visual arts, music and fun. Details: http://fearringtonartists.org